Focus Help - Coin Community Forum

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Author	Replies: 7 / Views: 1,465
jprine Pillar of the Community United States 1599 Posts	Posted 04/07/2013 1:20 pm I cannot get my camera to autofocus. I am shooting a Canon T1i, Canon 100m macro lens. I am positioning coins about 8 inches below the lens using IKEA led lights and controlling the camera using Zoombrowser. I have tried multiple f-stops, speed, etc and cannot get my camera to autofocus. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Report this Post to the Staff

SsuperDdave Moderator United States 23522 Posts	Posted 04/07/2013 6:01 pm You're probably a bit too close at 8"; 12 is more like it. Switch it to manual focus and try to physically focus at the distance you've set the lens; if it won't focus physically, it won't autofocus. I've literally never had a 100mm Macro fail to accurately autofocus, even into a slab. With 15MP in hand, you're going to get an image plenty big enough even at the longer distance. Report this Post to the Staff
Earle42 Bedrock of the Community United States 10038 Posts	Posted 04/07/2013 6:01 pm I am no expert. But I decided to "cheat" when I could not get my camera to focus on the coin. I raised the coin up off of the surface of the stage by putting it on top of a coin tube. I used a tube small enough diameter to be hidden by the coin itself. It forces the camera to only have the coin to auto-focus on. I have an kodak eayshare and a 2.00 macro lens I constructed using a lens from a set of garage-sale binoculars (got the idea online) and a PVC pipe connector. Here is a typical pic: How much squash could a Sasquatch squash if a Sasquatch would squash squash? Download and read: Grading the graders Costly TPG ineptitude and No FG Kennedy halves https://ln5.sync.com/dl/7ca91bdd0/w...i3b-rbj9fir2 Report this Post to the Staff
jprine Pillar of the Community United States 1599 Posts	Posted 04/07/2013 8:09 pm Thanks for the replies. I will move up to 12 inches and try again. I have been able to manual focus at the lesser distance. Here is a recent example. Report this Post to the Staff
SsuperDdave Moderator United States 23522 Posts	Posted 04/07/2013 8:34 pm Odd, that. Here's something to try (I normally did it this way): Prior to the first tethered shot, "manually" make it autofocus by holding the shutter halfway down, like you'd do if you were handholding the shot. Then let the shutter go and shoot it from the tether as normal. Report this Post to the Staff
jprine Pillar of the Community United States 1599 Posts	Posted 04/07/2013 9:21 pm Nailed it SsuperDdave. Moved the lens up to 12 inches and it did what it is supposed to. I guess I have been thinking that I had to be as close to the coin as I could get to get a good pic. I think the second pic below is much better than the manually focused. It looks much more like the coin. Thanks! Manual Auto Report this Post to the Staff
rmpsrpms Pillar of the Community United States 4038 Posts	Posted 04/07/2013 10:26 pm Manual vs auto should make no difference at all. Are you sure the only difference is in the focusing? Contact me for photographic equipment or visit my home page at: http://macrocoins.com Report this Post to the Staff
jprine Pillar of the Community United States 1599 Posts	Posted 04/09/2013 2:48 pm I actually did change some settings after I got the autofocus to work. Report this Post to the Staff
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